


Fool Me Once

by Checoyourself



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Breakup/makeup, Drama & Romance, Fluff, Hook-Up, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Love/Hate, M/M, One Night Stands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8589325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Checoyourself/pseuds/Checoyourself
Summary: Nico had a reputation. What happens when he goes after his teammate? *Reprise!* Rewritten story, now with a cheesy epilogue.





	1. Tequila Makes His Clothes Come Off

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is my first chapter fic on here! I hope everyone enjoys the first installment, and if you have any critiques at all, feel free to let me know. Thanks, and enjoy!
> 
> *UPDATE*! As of 5/17/17, this fic has been redone! I changed a lot of the dialogue and the overall feel of this fic. After revisiting it this week, I decided I didn't like the way the characters were coming across. It sounded immature to me. So, I hope you enjoy the updated version, with a bonus cheesy epilogue.

Sergio usually wasn’t one for the club scene, but he was convinced to come out tonight. It had certainly helped that his teammate had been the one to ask. It was the evening after the European Grand Prix, and Nico and Sergio had placed 6th and 3rd respectively. It was a fantastic finish for the small but mighty Force India team, so both drivers were on a high. Nico had excitedly knocked on Sergio’s door after the race and asked him to come out to the lounge that evening. Everyone was meeting up, and Sergio deserved to celebrate his podium win, Nico had said. He had agreed, shutting the door as a small wave of panic crashed into his mind. He wasn’t a dancer until the alcohol kicked in, what if he made a fool of himself? What should he wear? He quieted his thoughts and started to get ready, pushing the numerous questions to the back of his mind. As he was running a comb through his hair, his thoughts drifted to Nico. Was he going to try to make a move on him tonight? Sergio shook his head lightly. Nico had a bit of a reputation, and the last thing he wanted was to get swept up in it. He really liked Nico and had a crush on him since they met years ago. He had been keeping his distance since they became teammates to stay professional. He swore to himself he wouldn’t do anything crazy. The last thing they needed was teammate drama. They weren’t Mercedes. 

Sergio gave himself the once-over in the mirror and decided he was ready to go. He hailed a cab outside the hotel and arrived at the club soon after. He fished his phone out of his pocket to text Nico that he had arrived, but before he could get it out he heard his name being called out.

“Sergio! I’m glad you made it out. We’re gonna have a blast.” Nico said, throwing his arm around him and leading him towards the entrance. They got their picture taken outside and headed into the already busy club. Nico kept his arm around him after they walked in, was that necessary? They were greeted by Dan, Carlos, and Dany soon after walking in. 

“Hey guys, we got a table over this way.” Dan said, directing them to a more secluded area. Once they arrived they were greeted by Jenson, Kevin, and Esteban. Sergio sat down next to Esteban and began chatting about the race.

“Where are the others?” Nico asked. 

“Oh, Lewis already dragged Nico out to the dance floor, Nando is getting drinks, and Seb couldn’t make it.” Dan replied, pointing out an already tipsy Lewis dancing around a laughing Nico. “I’m a little surprised Sergio came out! We usually only get him out in Mexico and Monaco.”

“I know, I convinced him to come out tonight!” Nico winked, glancing over at Sergio still chatting away to Esteban. “I think I might make a move.” He said a little softer. Dan raised an eyebrow. He was aware of Nico’s casual behavior and wondered why he hadn’t already tried to hook up with his teammate.

“Good luck with that, I never saw Sergio as a hook-up type of guy.” Dan commented. Nico gave him a sly smile in return. 

“Watch me.”

Nico tapped Sergio on the shoulder and offered to get him a drink. They all sat around the table, drinking and chatting for the better part of an hour. Lewis and Nico joined them for a bit.

“Great drive out there today, Checo! It was awesome sharing a podium with you!” Rosberg said, patting him on the shoulder. The drivers were all a few deep at this point, ordering drinks like it was last call. Both Nicos had a chugging contest with Jagerbombs. Jenson joined in and wiped the floor with the Germans, Fernando cheering them all on. Lewis tugged on Nico’s sleeve, asking to go back out and dance. He smiled and followed his partner out onto the floor.

“They made up quickly.” Nico commented to the table after they left.

“I have a feeling they never stay angry for long.” Kevin joked with a wink. The table started giggling, the liquor very clearly taking effect. Nico turned to Sergio with a full-on pout. 

“Will you dance with me? I like this song.” He asked. Sergio normally would have politely declined, but something about the look in Nico’s eyes and the two tequila shots he had already consumed changed his answer. His guard was very quickly lowering, and he would blame that on the drinking later. Sergio took Nico’s arm and followed him out to the dance floor. They started dancing a foot apart, but soon the crowd squeezed them closer. Nico took the opportunity to slide his hands around Sergio’s waist and pull him closer. Flushed, he threw his arms around Nico’s neck and continued to enjoy the attention. The others looked on with expressions of amusement and concern. 

“I can’t believe he’s falling for it.” Carlos said to Dany, leaning over. 

“I know. I figured it would only be a matter of time. They’re cute, but Sergio’s too serious. This is going to crash and burn.” Dany replied. 

“Ooof, such a cynic!” Carlos laughed, punching Dany’s arm lightly. They decided to join the small group on the dance floor, bringing a goofy Dan and Kevin, and a quiet Esteban with them. 

After an hour on the dance floor and a round or two more of drinks, things began to get interesting. Lewis and Nico had disappeared into the shadows to do whatever they pleased, Dany and Carlos had gone from harmless flirting to bedroom eyes, Fernando was wearing Jenson’s hat backwards and kept requesting the Macarena at the DJ booth. They all soon began dancing around their table, hoisting Nico up onto it. His shirt had gone missing. He shot Sergio a deadly look. 

“You better get that cute ass of yours up here with me right now!” He shouted over the music. Sergio smirked and took Nico’s hand, trying desperately to steady himself before climbing up. The room had a funny tilt to it all of a sudden. The others clapped along to the music as they danced. Sergio started to grind up on Nico, earning hoots and hollers from their audience. Nico spun him around and pulled him against his chest, their faces only inches apart. Sergio looked up at him with dizzy, brown doe eyes.

“You’re coming home with me tonight.” He growled. A goofy smile crept across Sergio’s face. His fogged mental state meant no filter.

“I’ve wanted you since the day we met.” He whispered. They stayed like that for a moment. Their friends began shouting at them to “Just kiss already, Jesus! We can smell your hormones from here!”. With a breath, their lips crashed chaotically together. Sergio ran his tongue across Nico’s bottom lip. He tasted like Jaeger and spice. His hands wandered across Nico’s bare chest. Nico groaned into the kiss from the touch. This was beginning to get raunchy fast, they needed to get out of here. After they broke apart for air, Nico could see that he wanted it too. 

“I’ll call a cab.” Nico said breathlessly. Sergio gave everyone high fives and promised Esteban he’d text when he was home safely. Everyone wished them luck and shouted suggestive ideas as they strode out together. Sergio smirked back, Nico’s hand planted firmly on his ass. 

Twenty-five minutes and a messy makeout session in the backseat later, they were in the elevator up to Nico’s room. Nico pressed Sergio up against the wall and felt up under his shirt while kissing along his neck and collarbone. At this rate they may not even make it out of the elevator, he thought. Every inch that Nico’s lips touched left a trail of warmth along his skin. They stumbled out of the elevator and to Nico’s door, just a few down from Sergio’s. Nico flung the door open, pushed Sergio inside and promptly shut and locked the door. He resumed kissing Sergio and pushed him onto the bed while fumbling with his belt and pants. He’d wanted to do this for so long, but professionalism and Sergio’s closed-off attitude had kept him at bay until now. Liquid confidence surged through his veins, and he’d be damned if he let this opportunity slip away. Both of them down to their boxers, Nico climbed onto the bed and continued to kiss away at Sergio’s skin.

“I guess what they say is true, tequila really does make your clothes come off.” Nico joked, nibbling at Sergio’s ear. He giggled. A million sensations were lighting up his brain, it was hard to keep track of what all was happening. Nico paused for a moment and sat back on his heels. There was a strange look on his face.

“I think I love you.” He mumbled. Sergio leaned closer, unable to hear him clearly.

“What?” he asked. Nico shook his head and said he forgot. The dizziness began to get more intense. Sergio could feel his conscious getting blurrier by the minute. The last thing he would remember before he blacked out was Nico slowly stripping off his boxers with a cheeky grin, then nothing.


	2. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath. A short segue chapter.

Sergio opened his eyes and was immediately hit with a wave of nausea. The sun was streaming through open blinds, making his headache worse. His leg bumped another body and he froze. He sat up slowly and took a moment to look around the room, not recognizing most of the possessions scattered around. He quickly realized he was not in his room. He turned his head to see a passed out and naked Nico Hulkenberg lying beside him. Several feelings crossed his mind. Joy, accomplishment, fear, dread, and lastly, embarrassment. How were they supposed to face each other after this? He hoped that Nico wouldn’t remember anything once he woke up. He began to scooch over to the edge of the bed, trying to sneak out before Nico saw him. Before he could get out of the bed, an arm reached out and wrapped around his waist, pulling him back down into the covers.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Nico mumbled, pulling Sergio close. He allowed himself to be snuggled, indulging for a moment. Nico drifted back to sleep. Sergio spotted his phone on the nightstand and reached for it. Six messages. Three were from Esteban, he was worried. The others were from the guys, congratulating him and Nico with many typos from drunken autocorrect. He responded to Esteban, telling him he was alright and awake with a hangover. He received an instant reply. “Where are you?”. Sergio knew he probably had an idea. “In Nico’s bed. Don’t judge me” he sent back. He tapped his finger on the screen impatiently waiting for the scolding he was sure to receive from his friend. “I’m not judging, just know what you’re getting into.” Esteban responded. Sergio sighed. He had no idea what he was getting into. Part of him wouldn’t mind a relationship, but his rational side declared it impossible. He knew Nico was a “hit it and quit it” type of guy, so he wasn’t expecting anything after last night. Nico stirred again and rubbed his eyes. He sat up and looked over to Sergio. His expression broadcasted his confusion. 

“Hey...what are you doing in here?” He asked with a lazy smile. Sergio nervously scratched the back of his neck. This conversation would be fun.

“You brought me back here last night, we were both pretty drunk” He said. Nico’s small smile broke into a full grin.

“Ah, yes. I finally bedded the elusive Sergio. Same time next week?” He joked. Sergio forced a shy smile. He had to get out of here before he made a fool of himself. Luckily Nico provided him with an out. 

“I’d normally hate kicking you out so early, but I’ve got to pack up. I have to catch a plane back home in a few hours”. Sergio nodded in understanding, silently thankful. They got dressed, throwing socks and shirts across the room to the other when they clearly didn’t fit. Sergio had his hand on the doorknob when Nico stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, thanks for going out with me last night. I had a lot of fun.” He flashed his signature wink and smile. Sergio gulped and nodded, a blush quickly spreading across his cheeks.

“I had a lot of fun too. Maybe dinner first next time?” He joked.

“I’ll double-check with my assistant and get back to you on that one.” Nico teased back. He gave Sergio a kiss on the cheek. He tensed and tried his best to look casual walking to his room, giving a little wave before Nico shut his door. Sergio fumbled with his room key for a moment before flinging the door open and quickly shutting it behind him. He flopped face first onto the bed, groaning into the pillow. What had he done, sleeping with his teammate? Things were going to be awkward now, or worse, Nico would just go back to ignoring him and continue on his way.

“I shouldn’t have let it get this far” he thought, a little frustrated with himself. The more he sat and thought through last night, the more he began to piece together. Did Nico say the word love? He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Alcohol made you think stupid things. He picked up his phone and texted Esteban. “Want to come over for pizza?” Esteban responded that he’d be there in an hour.

They sat across from each other cross-legged on the bed, the pizza box between them. Sergio told Esteban everything that had happened from the night before and the past morning. Esteban chuckled and shook his head before offering his advice.

“I know you like him, but whatever this leads to if anything at all, it won’t be good.” he said, struggling with a stringy piece of cheese. Sergio slumped backward into the pillows, covering his face with his hands.

“I can’t believe we fucked.” he said, muffled. He removed his hands to look over at Esteban. He was trying not to burst out laughing with a mouth full of cheese and sauce. Sergio threw the closest pillow at him. After an hour or so he thanked his friend before seeing him out. Sergio picked up his phone and typed out a short message to Nico. “I hope you had a safe flight.” He hesitated for a moment, then hit send. He stared at his phone for a few minutes and threw it onto the bed. 

“It was just a one-night thing. I’m an idiot.”


	3. Crash and Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why are our friends always right?

Sergio stepped off of his plane and onto the Austrian tarmac. After a week in Silverstone doing simulations and training he felt refreshed. He had barely checked his phone, and had texted back and forth with Nico only twice. He had responded eight hours after Sergio’s message with a simple “Thanks, made it just fine!” and another asking when Sergio would be arriving in Austria. He was glad that things didn’t seem like they were any different between them so far. He had no idea what to expect from his teammate after what had transpired last weekend. He was naturally optimistic, but his common sense took over and told him to play it cool. He got into his rental car and drove off towards the circuit, half excited and half filled with dread.

After qualifying Sergio was annoyed. Sixteenth place was nowhere near where he thought he belonged, definitely not after a podium the previous week. Nico had qualified third, and would move up to a front row start after Rosberg was handed a five-place penalty. Nico was on top of the world. He walked out of the qualifying press conference with the biggest smile on his face. Sergio watched him celebrate with his mechanics on the opposite side of the garage. He sulked behind a stack of tires, enjoying the brief moment alone. A few minutes later, Nico poked his head around the tire stack and startled him.

“Hey teammate, tough luck out there. You’ll be back at it next week. This just gives you a chance to make an amazing comeback.” he said, holding his hand out for a fistbump. Sergio lifted his arm and returned the gesture, forcing a smile. As much as he was enjoying this little moment, he really wanted to get out of the garage, away from Nico’s and everyone’s pitying gazes.

He excused himself and headed back to the motorhome. After the necessary interviews were finished, Sergio headed back to his hotel room, ready for a night of bad movies and a good night’s rest. As he walked down the hallway, he spotted a garish tie on the doorknob of Nico’s room. His stomach dropped. He was more than aware of the meaning. He walked quickly past before he heard something he didn’t want to, and shut his door. He sat on the bed and tried to convince himself he didn’t care who it was. He knew this was how it was going to end up, but maybe it hurt that it happened so soon after their night together. He decided he no longer cared about causing teammate drama and picked up his phone.

“So, who’s the victim this week?” he sent. He also texted Esteban to bring some ice cream before coming over to hang out for the evening. 

“Eeesh, I’m hoping you missed that earlier. Who still does that, puts a tie on the door? That’s so douchey. They make ‘do not disturb’ signs for a reason.” Esteban said, throwing shade for Sergio’s sake. He handed Esteban a spoon before sitting next to him and scrolling through the available movies. 

“Does it really surprise you, though? It’s his style.” He answered. “I was a little rude, I sent him this.” he said, showing Esteban his phone. He raised an eyebrow. 

“He answered you, did you see that?” Sergio quickly turned his phone and looked, not seeing a reply. Esteban laughed.

“You have to stop pretending you don’t care.” Sergio swatted at him with his ice cream covered spoon. Halfway through the movie, Sergio was fast asleep. Esteban put the remainder of the ice cream in the freezer and let himself out, but not before he hid all of Sergio’s socks all around the hotel room. He was hoping a small prank would cheer him up in the morning.

Sergio awoke bright and early for race day duties. He checked his phone and saw that Nico did in fact reply, and it wasn’t as snarky as he had been. He felt guilty.

“If you wanted it to be you, all you had to do was ask.”

Sergio slumped back into the pillows and let out a frustrated sound. All of these mind games were starting to get to him. He decided that having the best race result possible was more important than whatever Nico was trying to pull.

When he arrived at the garage, he suited up and ignored Nico, who came over to his side to wish him a good race. He quickly shook his outstretched hand and mumbled “Thanks, Hulkenberg”. Nico tilted his head to the side in response, confused. Sergio had never called him by his last name. He was about to inquire, but his race engineer waved him over, prompting him to suit up as well. Sergio slipped his helmet on and snapped his visor shut. 

The race was going well for Sergio. He was up into eighth place towards the closing laps. On the 65th lap his engineer came over the radio. 

“Checo, Nico is out of the race. I repeat, Nico is out of the race. Finish strong, mate.” Sergio was instantly worried, despite the frustrations that had helped him get up to his current position. 

“Is he okay?” he replied, waiting for the worst. After an agonizing minute of focusing on keeping Carlos behind him and waiting for a reply, his radio came to life.

“I’m fine, finish the damn race.” Nico’s voice echoed in his helmet. Sergio snorted. At least he was still scoring points. He drove hard the next few laps, until he suffered a brake failure and put his car nose-first into the barrier on the second to last lap. He told his engineer he was alright, and got himself out of the car and back to the garage. The team set him up in the medical room for a check-over to be safe. His neck hurt a little, but other than that he felt alright. He rested his head in his hands for a moment and let himself feel the disappointment of not finishing the race. What a weekend it had been. He sighed and looked up when the door opened and Nico strode in. He sat next to the bed and rested his arm over Sergio’s shoulders. He tensed up. 

“You gave us a scare!” He said, chuckling. Sergio wasn’t smiling, too tired to try and fake it.

“Please don’t touch me.” He muttered. Nico removed his arm, but looked Sergio in the eye.

“What is your problem lately? You’ve been an ass this weekend. Well, a bit more than usual I should say.” Nico said accusingly, eyes narrowing. Sergio shrugged off his question, not wanting to have this conversation now. Nico got even more annoyed with his indifference.

“I’ve been nothing but nice to you this entire season, and all you do is shut me down. I’ve always taken your attitude with a grain of salt. I thought taking you out would lighten you up, maybe even make you like me, but I guess I just made it worse.” He said, venting. Sergio felt a bit guilty acting this way, but he had to protect himself. He still didn’t trust Nico.

“If this is about last night, it meant nothing. I meant what I sent you.” Nico said, reaching for Sergio’s hand. He pulled it away. 

“How am I supposed to know I’m different from anyone else you’ve been with?” He asked, breaking his silence. Nico was far past done with this conversation. He reached for a comment he knew would hit a nerve.

“You’re not.” He replied simply.

“Do you tell them all that you love them? Does it make it easier for you to get what you want?” his voice began to waver. Getting emotional wasn’t doing him any favors, but he couldn’t help it. All the feelings he had bottled up began pouring out. Nico maintained his icy attitude.

“You don’t know the first thing about me, or why I do what I do. I’d advise you shut up before you make an assumption you can’t take back.” he threatened, getting up to leave. He had said all that he needed to, and then some.

“Well, I’d advise that you stay the hell away from me drunk or sober.” He replied. Nico took the hint, turning to leave. He pushed past Esteban, who was waiting to make sure that his friend was okay. He walked in and shut the door. He looked at Sergio and could see that the previous conversation had not gone well.

“What’s wrong? What did he say?” He asked softly. Sergio took a deep breath before answering.

“It’s what I thought all along. I’m no different, I’m not special. Just another tally.” He said hopelessly. Esteban held out his arms, and Sergio took the cue, leaning into the offered hug. Esteban was annoyed. He knew this situation was most likely not going to work out in Sergio’s favor, but it had happened faster than he had expected. He patted Sergio’s back.

“We won’t let him get to you again.” He whispered. Sergio nodded. This was going to make for an interesting rest of the season.


	4. I Know What You Did Last Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter bounces back and forth between Nico and Sergio's respective summer break activities.

Every interaction since their fight had been very professional, mechanical, and cold. The week after Austria was Silverstone, which entailed many appearances and events for the fans. They smiled for promo shoots and interviews, but as soon as the cameras were off, they were on opposite sides of the room actively ignoring each other. The staff could see that something was up with the usually cordial teammates. As long as they weren’t at each other’s throats or crashing each other on track, they decided it wasn’t their business. A few select staffers had an idea of what was going on, but kept quiet for the sake of professionalism. Sergio’s trainer had turned the ordeal into an opportunity, placing Nico’s headshot on the wall as a football target. The photo was already quite wrinkled, and also sported devil horns and an unflattering unibrow. “An improvement” He had called it. 

It had been a constant back-and-forth battle on the track week after week, Sergio doing better one race, then Nico the next. Their collective resentment became a driving competitive force, and the tension in the garage grew with it as well. The German Grand Prix had been an important race for Nico, being his home race. A brief thought crossed Sergio’s mind to try and talk to Nico, but his common sense told him to let sleeping dogs lie. He was very much looking forward to getting away for the summer break and not having to see Nico’s smug face, especially after he had beaten Sergio this race, 7th to his 10th. After the race he quickly packed up his things and headed to the airport, Mexico bound for the break. Nico watched him leave. He also considered saying something, but the words were caught in his throat as Sergio quickly strode out of the motor home. Nico slumped his shoulders and made his way to the parking garage. He was driving home to Emmerich to spend time with his friends and family, and hopefully get out and party a bit as well. He turned on the radio and Enrique Iglesias began to waft out of the speakers. He grimaced and flipped to a random station, a talk show. He leaned his head back and sighed. His conscious wasn’t going to give him a break even if his job did.

Sergio met up with Esteban at the airport. They booked a stay at a resort and would be relaxing with family. They excitedly bounced ideas off of each other on what they could do. Once they took off it did not take long for Sergio to nod off and let his head fall onto Esteban’s shoulder. He grabbed a blanket and threw it over his friend. He smiled to himself as the shadow of tension left Sergio’s face. The mental and on-track battles between him and Nico were wearing him thin, and it worried Esteban to watch him stress. He hoped that their time away would help Sergio forget and move on. He booked a surfing and rock climbing outing on his phone before he rested his head on top of Sergio’s and drifted off as well.

 

Nico stepped into the club and instantly relaxed. He had his hair styled perfectly and a bad boy air about him with a leather jacket and a smirk. He wanted to start his vacation by waking up tomorrow in a haze, preferably with a beautiful body next to him. He began to reminisce about his morning waking up next to Sergio. He shook his head and decided it was past time to get a drink. Preferably a strong one.

 

Sergio woke up on the beach and stretched his legs. He and Esteban had returned from a morning of hiking and parasailing an hour earlier, and he had taken a catnap on the beach. He sat up and gazed out over the ocean. For a moment his mind drifted, and he wondered what Nico was doing for his summer break. He thought about how nice it would be to have him sitting in the sand next to him. All of the bad feelings soon returned to muddle his wishful thinking. Sergio stood up and ran to the water, diving in headfirst. This vacation was supposed to be clearing his head. He heard his name being called and turned toward the beach house. Esteban was standing by the giant sliding glass door, leaning out into the warm sun. 

“Checo! Do you want to go downtown later and get ice cream and churros?” He shouted. Sergio smiled and nodded enthusiastically. He really enjoyed being home. He floated around in the warm salt water for a bit before drying off and beginning the hunt for his shirt.

 

Nico stood at the edge of the dance floor with a drink in one hand, his phone in the other. He opened Instagram and scowled at the first picture that appeared. Sergio and Esteban were standing on top of a gorgeous cliffside, arms linked around each other’s shoulders, smiling wide. He scrolled down to see another picture of Esteban feeding him a churro, both clearly giggling like school children. Nico didn’t think he’d ever seen him look so happy. Jealousy had begun to rear its head. Nico quickly closed the app, downed his drink and ordered another. His vision began to blur, but he didn’t care. His thoughts were fuzzy and he liked it that way. He made his way out to the dance floor and got lost in the heavy bass and swaying bodies. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a shorter dark-haired man with his back turned at the edge of the dance floor. He waded his way over to the man and rested a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Sergio?” he shouted over the music. The man turned, slightly startled and annoyed.

“I think you have the wrong person, mate.” He said dismissively. Nico mumbled an apology and walked over to the bar to get another drink. Now he couldn’t even douse his feelings the way he usually did without Sergio getting in the way. Here he was feeling miserable in a place he normally felt in control, and Sergio was down in Mexico having the time of his damned life with Esteban. Nico pondered that for a moment. Was there something going on there? He decided he was no longer in the mood to party and hailed a cab.

When Nico got home he collapsed onto his bed and fumbled with his phone. He decided it was time to be honest about his feelings instead of hiding behind the player facade. He opened his texts and typed out a short message. He hit send, passing out moments later. 

 

Sergio woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. He reached over to check his blinking phone, someone had sent him a text. His eyes narrowed when he saw the sender. He sat in bed for a moment, debating on whether or not to even open it. His curiosity got the better of him, and he tapped Nico’s name. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then his heart skipped a beat. “Seergio I need to takl to you ASAp. I ducked it alllll up. I rlly do livery u..”. He could pretty much piece together what Nico intended, then scowled. He was clearly plastered last night and was pulling the same shit he did the night they hooked up. He decided the message didn’t even deserve a response and deleted it. Sergio wrapped himself back up in the blankets and fell back asleep, the message already forgotten.


	5. Kiss With A Fist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A kiss with a fist is better than none." -Florence + The Machine, "Kiss With A Fist"

Sergio woke up in his hotel room in Belgium, three weeks later. Now that the summer break was behind him he was more than ready to finish the season. He checked the time on his phone and smiled at the picture he had chosen for his background. It was taken on the beach, Esteban holding him bridal style. They couldn’t stop laughing to take a normal photo, so both their faces were hilarious. His memory was interrupted when he heard a knock at the door.

“Hey, practice is in an hour. You awake?” His trainer said through the closed door. Sergio responded that he’d be ready in a minute, and rolled out of bed to get dressed. After he received Nico’s drunken confession text, he decided feigning ignorance was better than trying to deal with it. He was hoping Nico wouldn’t ask him about it. He sighed, getting back to the grind wasn’t suiting him as well as beach life had.

Nico sat on his side of the garage, tapping his feet against a stack of tires. After he received no response from Sergio during the summer break, he was convinced he was over whatever they had briefly shared. Once he came to the next morning and checked his phone, his heart dropped at the empty screen. To be fair the message was a bit scrambled from his state of mind, but the meaning was definitely clear. He watched Sergio on the other side of the garage, determined and focused. He wanted to talk for a moment, but not in front of everyone. Sergio looked over at him before getting into his car, and Nico could feel the scowl through the helmet. He immediately looked down at his shoes. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. 

Sergio settled into his car for free practice two. Practice one had gone well, giving the team some good data on tire wear. He was ready to get this over and done so he could get back to his room and relax. Being back in the garage with Nico was already stressing him out. He could feel Nico’s eyes on him as he got into the car and snapped his visor shut. If he wanted to talk to him, why didn’t he just say something instead of staring like a creep? The standoffish attitude he had been using as a front wasn’t making it easy, and he knew that. He’d rather do his talking on the track anyway. He burned out as he pulled out of the garage and into the pit lane. Nico followed shortly after, keeping Sergio’s car in his sights.

After a dozen good installment laps, Sergio decided to let it rip a little. He sped up and took the next corner fast. Nico noticed this and asked his engineer what he was doing.

“Blowing the cobwebs out, I’d imagine.” was the reply. Nico smirked and decided to follow suit. If he wanted to play, they would play. He caught up and was right on the gearbox when Sergio locked his tire causing Nico to clip his rear right, wrecking Sergio’s suspension and sending him spinning off the track. Nico’s front wing was totaled as well but he continued driving, leaving his teammate seething on the side of the track. A double yellow flag was waved, and Sergio climbed out of the car and stormed back to the garage. He was going to let Nico know exactly what was on his mind in front of God, the crew and whoever else would be within earshot.

“Shit!” Nico swore out loud after clipping Sergio’s car. That wasn't going to help any sort of conversation. He was going to be furious. He radioed an apology to the team immediately, and they responded with “You may want to run and hide when you get back, he's livid.” Great, this was not how he wanted this afternoon to go at all. He took a deep breath and began to plan his apology as he nursed his car back to pit lane.

When Sergio got back to the paddock, he had his speech thought out and ready to go, laced with insults and shortcomings. He pictured the smug look he was sure Nico would be wearing, and couldn’t wait to wipe it right off. As soon as he returned to the garage Nico ran up to him, concern and remorse written all over his features. He reached out to touch Sergio’s arm.

“Hey, sorry about that move, I didn’t mean for you to-” Nico began apologetically, but Sergio ripped off his balaclava and cut him off, shoving his arm to the side.

“You crashed me out. Seriously? We’re supposed to be working together and you just-” before he could continue his rant, Nico grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him. He kept trying to shout through the kiss, eyes wild and filled with anger. There was a loud cough in the garage. The cameras were on them, following up on the drivers’ return to the garage. The world was now watching the chaos unfold. Nico let go of him, and he immediately delivered a slap to Nico’s cheek that echoed around the paddock, and out of television sets and computer speakers around the globe. He huffed and stormed out of the garage, leaving a stunned and now publicly humiliated Nico behind. He looked into the camera and started to laugh nervously, trying to break the tension. The camera quickly cut away from the Force India garage. The commentators had no idea what to say with the stunt. Nico took a moment and put his hand to his cheek. It was hot where Sergio had hit him. 

“Well, I guess that answers my question” he thought before slowly walking back to his room. Sergio clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Several reporters approached him asking if him and Sergio were a couple. Why was he so aggressive? Was it strange intimidation tactics? He shrugged them all off refusing to comment before reaching his room in the motorhome and locking the door. 

Esteban found Sergio soon after free practice was over, training in the motorhome. He had a punching bag in front of him, swaying slightly from the blows. He had his hands resting on his thighs, breathing heavy. At least he was taking out his frustrations in a healthy way. 

“Hey, how are you doing? I saw everything.” He called out. Sergio looked up and smiled. 

“At least I have decent motivation to train now.” He laughed. He was taking this much better than Esteban thought he would. He rested a hand on Sergio’s sweat-soaked back. 

“You two need to talk this out without yelling, fighting or public makeouts.” Esteban said, his serious tone breaking into a chuckle on the last word. “It was one thing when it was just your personal lives, but now it’s interfering with your job. Have the team talked to either of you yet?” He asked, an amused look on his face.

“Not yet, but Nico’s been in the office ever since, so I’m assuming they’ve been talking to him quite a bit.” He smirked. That’s why he was in such a good mood. A look of concern crossed his features. “But I’m guessing we’ll have to have a meeting at some point. What do I say?” He asked. He was still hurt from their fight underneath his cool, indifferent facade and didn’t want the confrontation. They hadn’t had a normal conversation in months.

“Say what's in your heart and on your mind. You may be able to fool yourself, but not me. I’ve known you too long. You've bottled up your feelings about this, and it’s time to let them out. You don't have to be friends, but putting the uncertainty aside would benefit both you and the team. You need closure.” Esteban said reassuringly, handing Sergio his water bottle. He took a long swig and started laughing. Esteban raised an eyebrow, had he finally lost it?

“Why do you always have to be right?”


	6. Baby, You're A Firework

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all." - 10 Things I Hate About You

Sergio sat in the team’s motorhome conference room in Italy, five days later. It was Thursday, and the GP weekend had already begun. Sergio hadn’t seen or had a chance to talk to Nico since last weekend’s fiasco. The team had decided to finally step in, and were asking both of their drivers to attend meetings with a mediator until they figured out their issues. Cars were expensive, and the team did not need another repeat of last weekend. Sergio rested his chin on his hand, staring out the window at the Italian sunshine. He thought this was a waste of time. He should be out riding bike, stretching his legs. The issues were clearly with Nico and not him. His gaze flickered to the door as it swung open. He eyed Nico’s jaw as he strode into the room and plopped into the chair across from him. He still had a small bruise from where he had slapped him the week before. He felt a little bad hitting Nico in front of everyone, but he had been angry, shocked, confused, and embarrassed by the sudden kiss, and had reacted on instinct. Nico eyed him up as well from across the table, then looked down at his shoes. The mediator sat at the head of the table and cleared her throat. 

“Okay guys, let’s start from the beginning. Nico, would you like to begin?” She gestured to the unusually quiet German. He looked up and nodded curtly. He took a deep breath and looked at Sergio as he spoke.

“I realize my actions since Baku have been less than satisfactory.” he began. He looked over to the mediator and began explaining what had started it all from his point of view.

“I’m not great when it comes to relationships. I see someone I want, I go for it, then I move on. I’ve liked Sergio since we met, but I’ve always sensed that he didn’t like me. That bothered me, so I hid it by seeing everyone else. I thought somehow it would make him realize what he was missing, but it did the opposite. Unfortunately we both drank a bit in Baku and it finally happened. Ever since then I haven’t figured out how to handle these horribly apparent feelings, and he hasn’t made it easy for me in the slightest, either.” He finished, his gaze cold before he continued looking back down at his shoes. Sergio’s mind ran through what he had said. He was blaming this on him? He skipped over the part where Nico had said he liked him and focused on the accusations instead. The mediator turned to Sergio.

“Is there anything you’d like to add?” She asked, gesturing towards him. He sat for a moment and contemplated how he wanted to begin. He took a deep breath.

“I’ve also had feelings for my teammate for a while, but I prefer to keep my business quiet. I kept my distance for the sake of being a professional, and I had seen how Nico was with people. His relationship style, or lack of one in this case, was not for me. I made the mistake of going out with him and some others after the race in Baku to celebrate, and after some drinking I fell for it. I cannot lie and say it didn’t hurt when he moved on to the next victim so quickly, because it did. A little part of me hoped that maybe he’d change his habits and we could have had something. I know now that I was wrong. I’ve felt like an idiot ever since.” He looked up at Nico only for the last sentence. Nico could see the hurt in his eyes and felt guilty. Sergio didn’t want his pity, and stood up, suddenly angry. 

“Don’t look at me with pity. I’m not a dog you left in the rain. Save it for the track.” He spat as he walked out. An arm grabbed his from behind and gently tugged him back.

“Sergio, please. Why are you making this so difficult?” Nico began. Sergio whirled around and stared up at him almost nose to nose, eyes blazing. 

“You don’t get to choose how this plays out. You’ve done your part, and now this is what it earned you. I hope it’s what you wanted.” He said before shaking his arm out of Nico’s grasp and stalking away.

“If you’d just sit and listen to what I’m trying to say, you wouldn’t be so angry.” He said quietly to himself. He apologized for his teammate’s outburst and assured her they’d be back next session. There were two weeks between Monza and Singapore, giving both men time to stew over what had been said, and their thoughts and feelings. Per Sergio’s request, their next meeting was to be held after the race. He didn’t want anything interfering with his race this late in the season.

It was race day and Sergio was strapped into his car. He had qualified 10th, but was penalized after a yellow flag incident and would be starting 17th. He was determined to finish ahead of Nico and in the top 10. Little did he know, the former would be much easier than he was expecting. 

Lights out, and the cars began to zoom down the straight toward the first turn. Sergio flew by a crash too quickly to see what happened or who it was, but there was a car in the wall and debris all over. Soon after his engineer came over the radio.

“Checo, Nico is out. Squeezed in between the Toro Rossos and sent spinning.” He replied with a simple acknowledgement and raced on to take 8th place. After the race he quickly gave Esteban a hug and congratulated him on his 11th place, then made a beeline for the medical room in the Force India motorhome. When he got there Nico was resting. He sat quietly next to the bed and took a quick look at his charts. He was fine, he had walked away from the crash. Just a few minor bruises and scratches. He sat back and rested his hands behind his head. Should he leave before Nico even knew he was there, or stay and talk? He had been thinking about what Nico had said in their last meeting and wanted to talk a little before their next meeting. Before he had a chance to get up and flee the room, Nico opened his eyes and startled him. 

“Hey Sunshine. Never would have expected you at my bedside.” He chuckled to himself. Sergio leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I figured we could talk a little before the next meeting.” He said quietly. Nico breathed out a small sigh of relief.

“I know how you feel and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you, I just wish you’d listen to me and believe me when I tell you how I feel.” He started. He was going to wait until the meeting to pour his heart out, but he figured now was a good a time as ever, and they were alone. Sergio stiffened and looked at Nico struggling for words. He didn’t know what to expect, so he expected the worst.

“I feel like a babbling idiot with you looking at me like that, but long story short, I slept around as much as I did to forget you. I thought you disliked me, even hated me, so I tried to distract myself. After I got a glimpse of what it could have been like after Baku, it broke my heart to know I’d never get it, so I did what I always did to try and forget.” Nico mumbled shyly, looking over at Sergio. He was in disbelief.

“That’s why you tried to kiss me in Belgium?” He asked, slightly amused. “I had to field a lot of questions because of that.” he said. Nico laughed.

“It was the quickest way to shut you up. I had no idea the cameras would be there, I’m sorry. I agree though, the questions weren’t fun. Not as fun as kissing you.” He said with a wink. Sergio snorted. 

“Yeah, please don’t do that again.” he said. Nico raised an eyebrow.

“The crashing or the kissing?” he asked curiously. It didn’t take him long to get back to his cheeky self. Sergio leaned forward in his chair and ignored the question.

“So the flirting over all those years, you meant it? I just thought it was your personality.” He asked.

“It is my personality, but to everyone else it’s a joke. ‘Just kidding’ you know? Do you ever remember me saying that while talking to you?” he asked. Sergio shook his head.

“You haven’t as far as I can remember.” Realization finally began to dawn on him.

“Let me prove it to you, that I can do this. There’s something here, you felt it in Baku. You can’t keep ignoring it.” Nico said softly. “I promise I’d never do anything to hurt you. Everyone will know I am off limits.” Sergio nodded in understanding. He decided it was finally time to lower his guard and go for it. It couldn’t end up any worse than they had been the past few months. Sergio’s silent contemplation was killing Nico.

“What are you thinking?” he asked impatiently.

“I want this to work.” Sergio admitted. Nico’s face lit up. He had been expecting rejection.

“I really want that too.” He said, leaning forward for a hug. He held his teammate tight, afraid that if he let go he’d disappear.

“I livery you.” He said into Nico’s sleeve, bringing up the drunk text. Nico laughed.

“I livery you too, asshole.” He pulled back enough to place a soft kiss to Sergio’s lips. He leaned into it and sighed. They had finally figured it out with their careers still in tact. Just then, the team’s medical examiner opened the door and startled the pair.

“Again?! You two need to stop.” He laughed, closing the door. “Call me when the fireworks are over.” Nico looked at Sergio and smiled.

“I don’t think they ever will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the inevitable cavities, the end got really cheesy. I can't help it. You all knew they'd end up together.


	7. Epilogue - Happily Stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tah-dah, an epilogue! This is pure fan-service fluff, you're welcome. The metaphorical cherry on top.

Sergio opened his eyes on the morning of the Mexican GP feeling refreshed and optimistic. He stretched as much as he could with the arms that were currently wrapped around his waist. The body behind him shifted, and a soft kiss was soon placed upon his temple. He wiggled around to face his boyfriend. He kissed the tip of Nico’s nose in return.

“I think my dad likes you.” He stated. Nico chuckled in response. 

“You think so? I couldn’t tell with him calling me ‘son’.” Sergio cracked a smile and buried his head into Nico’s chest. 

“You’re so warm. Definitely a plus when we visit your country.” He said, his voice muffled. 

“I hate to break it to you Sunshine, but we have to get up for the parade. You gotta go shine in front of your people.” He mumbled into Sergio’s ruffled hair. He hated the idea of getting out of bed just as much as his partner. After a few more moments of being happily snuggled together, they got out of bed and began to get dressed for the day.   
When they arrived at the paddock, Nico pulled Sergio in for a hug before they headed off to their respective cars for the parade. 

“Go out there and knock em’ dead. I’ll be shouting for you too. I’m proud of you and how far you’ve come this season. I love you.” He said, giving Sergio a kiss on the forehead before releasing him from the embrace. He looked up at his boyfriend with happy tears brimming in his eyes. He finally had it all. The career, the relationship…

“Hey, hey none of that!” Nico laughed, wiping a stray tear from under Sergio’s eye. He smiled and gave Nico another quick hug before running off to his waiting car. 

“I love you too, Sugarballs! He shouted as he jogged away, laughing. Nico buried his head in his hands as the entire garage began snickering at him. This was definitely more entertaining than the bickering. Sergio soon met up with Esteban on the track.

“Did you say it?” He asked, a mischievous grin on his face. Sergio nodded, laughing.

“I did. The whole garage started laughing.” he answered. 

“You know he’s going to get you back for that.” Esteban warned. 

“If it’s in the way I’m thinking, I’ll enjoy it” he winked. Esteban replied by sticking his tongue out in fake disgust.

“The only downside of you two getting together is that I now have to hear things like that.” He said, patting his friend on the back. They got into their respective cars and started the parade. Once they got to the stadium section of the track, Sergio and Esteban hopped out of their cars and linked arms, waving to the massive crowd cheering for them. A few cars back, Nico cheered along with them. He jumped out of his car and ran over to them. Before Sergio knew what was happening, Nico ducked under his legs and hoisted him up onto his shoulders. Esteban laughed as the crowed cheered even louder.

The race hadn’t been the greatest for Sergio, but being in front of home crowd had him beaming all day. After a nice dinner with his family and Nico, they returned to their room and flopped unceremoniously onto the bed. 

“It’s been a busy day for you, Mr. Pérez.” Nico said, running his hands through Sergio’s hair. He hummed at the touch and gave Nico a thumbs up, too tired to verbally reply. They were soon snuggled up for the evening, and Sergio had been unusually quiet. He rolled over to face Nico.

“Promise you won’t run out on me?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere. So this is what he’d been thinking about. 

“I wouldn’t dare.” He said, affirming it with a kiss. “You're stuck with me.”

“Happily stuck.” Sergio mumbled before falling asleep.


End file.
